Former License Examiners Sentenced

S. Florida Trio Gets Probation In Bribe Case

November 19, 2004|By Ihosvani Rodriguez Miami Bureau

Three former South Florida driver's license examiners were each sentenced to five years probation Thursday after pleading guilty to taking bribes from people who were not qualified for licenses and identification cards at branch offices in Hialeah and Coral Gables.

Their pleas close a 2001 bribery case that snared seven South Florida examiners, each caught on tape being paid off.

Combined, the seven were charged with 189 felony counts, including racketeering, bribery, forgery and computer crimes.

According to court records, the examiners were sometimes paid up to $1,200 per bribe to issue commercial driver's licenses to people who did not qualify or who didn't undergo a test at all. The examiners met their clients through instructors at private driving schools.

Sentenced on Thursday were Maria Del Guidice, 49, of Pembroke Pines and Maritiza M. Fernandez, 43, of Virginia Gardens. Both worked in the Hialeah branch of Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The third examiner, Justo Echavarria, 44, of Miami, worked at the Coral Gables branch.

As a condition to probation, the three are prohibited from coming within 500 feet of a driver's license office and from taking jobs at driving schools. The four other examiners made pleas earlier this year and received similar sentences.

During the Florida Highway Patrol investigation that featured hidden video cameras, 28 commercial driver's licenses were fraudulently issued to unqualified drivers who doled out cash, prosecutors said Thursday. Those licenses have since been revoked.

After receiving their bribes, the examiners entered information into a database reflecting that the drivers passed their tests and met a long string of requirements, chief assistant statewide prosecutor Jodie Breece said. Regular licenses and identification cards also were issued to people who couldn't provide proof of identity or legal status in the United States, said prosecutors.

DMV operation manager Peter Stoumbelis said the inquiry began when investigators came upon a number of discrepancies in the two branch offices while conducting an unrelated identity theft case.

Since the 2001 arrests, officials have adopted a number of safety measures to prevent further corruption, including installing surveillance cameras at branch offices and conducting more thorough background checks on employees.

The new procedures have led to the arrests of other examiners throughout the state, including an examiner in Broward County, Stoumbelis said.

Ihosvani Rodriguez can be reached at ijrodriguez@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5005.